FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— As May begins universities across the Wabash Valley are ending their school year.
First, both Ivy Tech’s Terre Haute and Greencastle campus will be holding their commencement ceremonies on May 8 at 7 p.m. in Hulman Center. Doors open to the public at 6:00 p.m. The event will also be live-streamed at this link starting at 6:50 p.m. for those who can’t attend in person.
Next in Terre Haute, Indiana State University and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods will hold their commencement ceremonies on May 10. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College will celebrate its 191st commencement at the Hamilton Arena in the Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center. While accounting for campus-based undergraduates, online, and graduate students, this will be the largest commencement in the College’s history, and the first time doctoral degrees. The college boasts 367 degrees and certificates conferred this year. Doors for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods commencement open at 9:30 a.m., and the ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. for campus students, with a Baccalaureate Service held at 1 p.m. in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The ceremony for the graduate program and online students will be held at 3 p.m., with doors opening at 2:30 p.m.
Indiana State University will be having three ceremonies for their commencement to highlight a speaker who exemplifies the values of leadership, service, and academic achievement that define the Sycamore experience. Doors will open to the public one hour before each ceremony. The graduate students will have their ceremony at 9 a.m., while the undergraduates in the College of Arts & Sciences and Scott College of Business will have theirs at noon, and the rest of the undergraduates will have their ceremony at 3 p.m. all at the Hulman Center.
“Commencement is more than a ceremony; it’s a deeply meaningful celebration of resilience, growth, and the dreams our graduates carry into the world,” said Indiana State University President Mike Godard. “These speakers embody the heart and soul of our Sycamore community. I truly believe their voices will offer not only inspiration but also the hope and encouragement our graduates need as they take their next bold steps forward.”
Next, we will be moving across state lines to Mattoon, Illinois, for Lake Land College’s commencement held May 16. The ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m. in the campus’ Field House. Lake Land College is implementing a wristband system for this year’s ceremony. Each graduate will receive four wristbands that can be picked up between May 12-16 at the Admissions & Records Office in the Luther Student Center. Guests will need to be wearing a wristband to be allowed entry. For those who can’t come, a livestream will be posted on the college’s home page.
Finally, back to Terre Haute, for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s commencement to be held on May 31. Rose-Hulman will be having its ceremony in the Sports and Recreation Center at 10 a.m., but doors open at 7 a.m. for guests. Rose-Hulman’s ceremony will feature Jeff Ready as their commencement speaker as one of the nation’s top 25 IT innovators, ranked by CRN, as well as one of the top 25 disruptors in IT. Ready is also set to receive an Honorary Degree of Engineering during the ceremony.
“Jeff is a prime example of the entrepreneurial spirit that’s ingrained throughout Rose-Hulman’s rigorous STEM education, starting his first business enterprise on campus with other classmates. Also, the lessons learned from our computer science and engineering management programs have been important elements in his professional success in the Silicon Valley and Indiana,” said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “Jeff’s insight has been invaluable as we establish the groundwork involving entrepreneurship in our Advancing by Design long-term strategic plan.”
Vincennes University also had its 221st commencement ceremony on May 3, where they conferred 2,192 bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, and certifications for students from 73 of 92 Indiana counties, 34 states, and eight countries. The university also honored the previous Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, was presented with an honorary doctorate in public service.
